


A World of Pain

by Celevoir



Category: Magic: The Gathering
Genre: Fade to Black, Gen, Ideas Greatly Appreciated, Imprisonment, Misguided Beliefs, Not even the author knows how this will end
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-12-26
Updated: 2016-03-07
Packaged: 2018-05-09 12:31:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,302
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5540084
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Celevoir/pseuds/Celevoir
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Your body is a delicate instrument that tells me truths," she started to say, as if trying to calm a child. "These devices," she continued before pulling out what appeared to be a tri-pronged device, red electricity jumping between each of them, "help me 'tune' that instrument."</p><p>Jace's eyes widened as she spoke...</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Jace began to stir slowly from slumber, uneager to get up as usual, though he knew he had to. Every day that he had spent so far as the Living Guildpact had been a massive drain to his energy, and almost none of it was enjoyable.  
  
There were moments when he wondered if this was Ravnica's way of making him pay for what he's done in the past that he could never forgive himself for, such as when dealing with the Golgari and the odor they gave off made him want to gag yet not being allowed to do anything about it until after they left the Chamber of the Guildpact. But that was neither here or there.  
  
Though, it felt as if his arm was caught on something. Both arms, actually. Opening his eyes, Jace soon wish he hadn't upon seeing the various machinations around him, with red and blue lightning jumping from the top of one to another. The light, if one could say such, was dim, emerging instead from various points and in differing shades of bluish-green and red.  
  
"Wh...where am I?" A moment past before he tried to get up, finally feeling the band of leather around his neck keeping him in place. It felt like a collar made for his neck in specific, preventing him from choking on it, but not allowing him to lift his head very high. He tried to move his legs to discover that he was bound at the ankles as well.  
  
_What was going on?_  
  
"If this is some sick joke you Izzet are playing, it ends now," Jace bellowed with a commanding tone, hoping to scare someone into releasing him soon.  
  
"I'm afraid I do not know whom these 'Izzet' are, but I'm certain I will discover that answer as well as many others in due time."  
  
He froze, not recognizing the voice, but also stunned by what was said.  
  
_Doesn't know who the Izzet are? Am I not on Ravnica anymore?_  
  
"Where am I," he demanded, a slight amount of fear creeping into his voice as he tried and failed at not allowing past memories of imprisonment to surface. "And who are you!"  
  
"I fear that asking such questions is something I do instead as a focus for my studies." At this point did Jace hear footsteps, prompting him to try and turn his head towards the source. Entering his limited view was a feminine humanoid, her skin appearing purple while wearing clothing that he could not see where they all began and ended due to appearing as the same coloration. Once she was next to him, her nails traced over lines on his shoulders, making him realize that, except for his pants, he was otherwise completely unclothed. "Such a shame that past events have seemed to have scared this particular instrument. It will make keeping track of things more difficult."  
  
"What do you mean by 'instrument'," he pointedly asked of her, to which she simply closed her eyes. "Just what are you planning on doing with me!"  
  
A few tense moments passed before she reopened her eyes, meeting his blue ones.  
  
"Your body is a delicate instrument that tells me truths," she started to say, as if trying to calm a child. "These devices," she continued before pulling out what appeared to be a tri-pronged device, red electricity jumping between each of them, "help me 'tune' that instrument."

 

 Jace's eyes widened as she spoke, fear beginning to build as he watched the electricity jump about, sometimes to another cruel-looking device in entirety before returning to the one in her hand. "Why are you doing th---"  
  
She placed a gentle finger over his mouth, forcing his lips closed to silence him. "Every nerve ending is a pathway to self-knowledge. I had hoped that, by starting on a subject whom already has a developed connection to the subconsciousness, I could refine my methods by finding out exactly what triggers the connection to one's subconsciousness to help others find enlightenment."  
  
He paled, then found himself screaming as the strange device with the red lightning made contact with the skin over his heart...


	2. A Pang of Sympathy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Admittedly, this was originally going to be a one-shot, but events caused me to think about this and add to it. Hang on to your hats, glasses and asses, folks, for even I don't know how this ride will end! (Feel free to suggest potential events, endings and things you'd like to see Nin try to do to poor Jace. There's a chance that it may appear in the story-to-be, even if it's not immediate.)

_Subject's sensitivity to pain has turned out to be much higher than I had expected for a person with the scars he bears on his back and upper arms. Such sensitivity allows for lower and more precise amounts of pain in my studies, as well as hopefully prevent more of my equipment from being accidentally destroyed._  
  
Lifting her quill from the paper she was writing on for the moment, Nin glanced over towards the area she normally would perform her studies, seeing the massive mess of destroyed metal and crystal surrounding the bedding that she once had the mindmage bound to. "I wasn't aware that he was capable of such telekinetic bursts...and from the way he acted, I'm not sure he does, either."  
  
At this point did she glance towards the other direction, towards what looked like a cell meant for a much-larger being. Within it laid her subject upon the padded cot that she placed him on with a thick blanket to help keep him warm as he slept in the admittedly-chilly area.  
  
Let it not be said that she did not take care of her patients. She is not a cruel being, despite what some have tried to say about her.  
  
"Please...I'm sorry..."  
  
She raised an hairless eyebrow at the words whispered as the man began to fidget in his sleep, the obvious beginnings of a nightmare beginning to sink themselves into his mind for the time being. At the sight, she clicked her tongue in thought.  
  
Should she wake him or should she watch him to see what she could glean about him from the nightmare to come?  
  
Quill over the ink pot, though not yet in it, Nin made herself ready to write anymore that she heard, but unfortunately for her, he had started to thrash about, hands waving about as if trying to defend himself from something she could not see. Instead of writing, she watched him carefully, ready to unlock the cell and stop his thrashing should he come close to severely harming himself.  
  
Then a scream ripped out of his throat suddenly, hitting pitches she thought impossible with even his voice. "I'm sorry! I couldn't---!" Another short scream became heard from him before continuing. "Couldn't do anything! Nicol---"  
  
Even as another scream became heard in the air from him, Nin froze in her place.  
  
Nicol. Nicol Bolas. Even she has heard of the foul dragon, and the Pain Artist usually does her best to keep out of his thoughts and eyesight. Though, the fact that he knew the name made her wonder why  he knew it, and why he was screaming because of it.  
  
Either way, she saw him almost-literally levitate off the bedding for a brief moment as he thrashed about, a signal that she need to at least stop the dream, if not fully wake him. She rushed towards the cage and placed a hand on one of the bars before pushing into it a sliver of blue mana. It magnified before jumping from one bar to another, magnifying the mana as it did before releasing it and allowing it to float to towards and surround the distressed man, whom began to slowly stop moving until the only motion he now made was breathing.  
  
She hadn't noticed, but at some point, he had managed to rip the sheets and blanket in two, causing her to sigh before going to fetch more for him.  
  
She had the feeling that, to reach her goal, Nin would have to also help him heal from the old wounds that still festered within him. If that's what it took, then so be it.


End file.
